Pfizer Vaccine, a 'Plan B' for Elderly Vaccination?

Excluding AZ Vaccine Due to Medical Staff Opposition
Pfizer Proven Safe and Effective
Storage, Distribution, and Administration Methods Are Key

[Asia Economy Reporter Seo So-jeong] As the government secures an additional 3 million doses of the Pfizer COVID-19 vaccine, the 'Plan B' for vaccinating those aged 65 and older in nursing hospitals and similar facilities is expected to become feasible.

The supply schedule for Pfizer, originally planned for the third quarter, has been moved up. If 500,000 doses are supplied by the end of March and 3 million doses in the second quarter, all 377,000 elderly people who were scheduled for vaccination at the end of this month but were excluded will be able to receive the vaccine.

Controversy over efficacy and opposition from medical staff lead to exclusion of elderly... Minority opinion says "Vaccination is necessary"

The government initially selected those aged 65 and older in nursing hospitals and facilities as the highest priority vaccination group and planned to administer the AstraZeneca vaccine. However, as controversies over efficacy in the elderly arose in European countries such as Germany and France, the plan was revised to vaccinate those under 65 first. At the Vaccination Expert Committee meeting held on the 11th, there was a debate among members over whether to vaccinate the elderly with the AstraZeneca vaccine.

Out of 15 committee members, 13 attended, and 10 agreed to postpone vaccination for those aged 65 and older. This was because, among the 8,895 clinical trial participants for AstraZeneca's phase 3 data, only 660 (7.4%) were aged 65 or older, raising concerns about the vaccine's efficacy in the elderly.

A minority opinion of two members argued that vaccination should proceed as originally planned for the elderly, while one member did not express an opinion. The minority opinion stated, "If those aged 65 and older are excluded from vaccination, the overall framework?Pfizer for medical staff as the first dose and AstraZeneca for the elderly?will be broken. Given the uncertainty of vaccine supply in the first half of the year, vaccination should proceed as planned for the elderly who are vulnerable to infection."

Opposition from medical staff to vaccinating the elderly with AstraZeneca was also cited as a reason for excluding those aged 65 and older from the vaccination target. The Korean Medical Association opposed the Ministry of Food and Drug Safety's approval of the AstraZeneca vaccine, which stated that "vaccination of the elderly should be decided by doctors based on the condition of the individual," calling it an 'avoidance of responsibility.' Since COVID-19 vaccination must be administered to the entire population, active cooperation from medical staff is essential, and ignoring their opposition was not possible, which influenced this decision.

Pfizer vaccination remains a challenge... Need to visit elderly in nursing hospitals

[Image source=Yonhap News]

The government plans to review AstraZeneca's U.S. clinical trial results by the end of next month and implement vaccinations in April after receiving the results. If the U.S. clinical data are insufficient to prove efficacy in the elderly or controversies persist, the government is considering administering other vaccines such as Novavax, Janssen, and Moderna, scheduled for introduction in the second quarter. The exact timing of these three vaccines' introduction remains uncertain, leaving variables.

However, with the recent decision to additionally procure Pfizer vaccines, opinions have emerged that this could be an alternative for vaccinating the elderly. Since the Pfizer vaccine's safety and efficacy in the elderly have already been proven, vaccination can proceed without controversy once it is introduced.

However, storage, distribution, and vaccination methods remain concerns. The Pfizer vaccine must be stored at around minus 70 degrees Celsius and administered at vaccination centers. Elderly people in nursing hospitals and facilities have difficulty moving and cannot easily visit vaccination centers. Professor Ki Mo-ran of the National Cancer Center, a member of the Vaccination Expert Committee, said, "Administering the Pfizer vaccine to elderly people with mobility difficulties is challenging but possible," adding, "We can consider methods such as vaccination centers visiting nursing hospitals by region."

Meanwhile, the government will begin the first dose of AstraZeneca vaccination on the 26th for about 272,000 people under 65 years old who are patients, residents, and workers in nursing hospitals and facilities. Following that, from next month, AstraZeneca vaccination will be administered to 354,000 healthcare workers in high-risk medical institutions and about 78,000 first responders to COVID-19 (including quarantine, epidemiological investigation, and testing personnel).

The Pfizer vaccines introduced through the international vaccine supply organization COVAX Facility will be administered to approximately 55,000 medical staff treating COVID-19 patients through central and regional vaccination centers as soon as they arrive between late February and early March.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.